Manila , the Philippines -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After four countries , three formal state dinners , two speeches to American troops and one encounter with a menacing humanoid robot , President Barack Obama flies home Tuesday having completed his long-awaited trip to Asia .

The goals for the visit were ambitious : reassure allies the United States remains committed to a `` pivot to Asia , '' secure new deals to expand trade , and send a message to China that the United States has its allies ' backs in territorial disputes .

Some of those goals were met ; others less so . Here are five takeaways from Obama 's trip to Asia :

1 . China , China , China

Obama came to Asia to bolster ties with Japan , South Korea , Malaysia and the Philippines . But his stops in all four countries all seemed designed , in part , to send a message to China : `` We 're on their side . ''

While Obama and his aides have been quick to dispel the notion this week 's trip amounted to a `` containment tour , '' the President 's announcements throughout his visit -- mostly military in nature -- made clear the White House knew Beijing was watching closely .

Before Obama even landed in Tokyo he 'd taken Japan 's side in its bitter spat with China over a set of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea -- suggesting the United States would lend support to Japan should the squabble escalate militarily .

Obama begins Asia tour with reassurance to Japan

A week later , the White House announced the United States and the Philippines would enter into a new defense pact that allows for more American troops in Southeast Asia -- interpreted by China as an attempt to balance its own presence in a region where land and water are in constant dispute .

Obama denied that was the intention of the agreement . `` Our goal is not to counter China , our goal is not to contain China , '' he said in Manila . But more troops in the region will undoubtedly be some deterrent against any Chinese incursion into contested waters .

For the first time since the 1990s , when American bases were closed in the Philippines , the United States will have a substantial military footprint there . And that 's no accident , say experts who predict the next major world crisis will unfold off of China 's coast .

`` This is a region that 's going to be on the boil for years and years to come , '' said Robert Kaplan , the chief geopolitical analyst for Stradfor , on CNN this week . `` Seas crowded with warships , submarines , merchant shipping , fifth generation fighter jets -- that can easily create incidents that in turn could enable a crisis . ''

That 's exactly the kind of crisis Obama wants to prevent through greater U.S. attention to China 's neighbors . In Seoul the President said China `` has to abide by certain norms '' when it comes to its quarrels with neighbors .

2 . Trade a tougher sell

Obama 's promise of greater U.S. military cooperation in Asia was largely welcomed in the countries he visited . Less so was his pitch for new trade agreements , which sputtered in Japan in the midst of domestic political challenges for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe .

CNNMoney : Obama fails to secure breakthrough in Japan trade talks

The Trans Pacific Partnership would ease business ties between the United States and Asian partners -- a goal Obama claims would create jobs for both sides while opening up new markets for U.S. firms .

After several rounds of negotiations , Obama had hoped to be able to announce an agreement with Japan during his stop in Tokyo . That proved impossible as talks stalled amid Japanese concerns over agricultural protections for beef and rice .

The two sides scrambled to produce evidence of progress , working right up until Obama was about to depart Japan to provide a positive update on the talks . Even then , the White House was only able to say the two sides had `` identified a path forward '' in the negotiations -- without specifying where the two sides were coming into agreement .

`` There are still negotiations to be had . There are details to be worked out , '' said a senior administration official , adding the two sides had agreed only on `` parameters '' for the deal .

It was a disappointing result for the first stop of Obama 's Asia trip , though his own domestic politics -- including resistance to new trade deals from Democrats in Congress -- would have made any new deal a tough sell .

That political opposition makes it all but impossible for Obama to see a new trade deal through Congress before the 2014 midterm elections .

3 . Did Obama get his pivot ?

It would be hard to argue Obama was n't making good on his vow to refocus his foreign policy toward Asia this week -- after a canceled trip and crises in other parts of the world , at least he made it to the continent .

But the question remains whether the focus can be sustained . Even as he toured Asian capitals and touted cooperation between nations , another international crises -- in this case , Ukraine -- ended up producing the biggest headlines this week when Obama announced more sanctions on Russia on Monday .

Putin 's inner circle hit by new U.S. sanctions

In the coming months , the administration hopes to hammer out a final agreement on Iran 's nuclear program , rid Syria of its chemical weapons , and revive Mideast peace talks -- all issues that have overshadowed the Asia pivot in the past .

Is the U.S. losing its ability to sway allies ?

Netanyahu : No peace talks if Abbas is backed by Hamas

The administration has bristled at the notion it can only focus on one issue at a time -- as Evan Medeiros , Obama 's senior director for Asian Affairs , said before this week 's trip , `` We can walk and chew gum at the same time . ''

But as Obama has discovered , distractions at home and abroad can gum up even the best laid foreign policy platform .

Political chatter : Sanctions , Netanyahu 's red line

His lack of action in Syria , for example , ended up causing heartburn for Asian allies worried the United States would n't back them if China crossed a so-called `` red line . '' The unfolding situation in Ukraine -- which Obama has explicitly said wo n't involve a U.S. military solution -- has Asian allies similarly wary .

During his final stop in Asia , Obama fiercely defended his foreign policy choices , arguing that his decisions to avoid military force should n't be viewed by Americans -- or allies -- as weak .

`` Why is it that everybody is so eager to use military force after we 've just gone through a decade of war at enormous costs to our troops and to our budget ? '' he asked in the Philippines . `` And what is it exactly that these critics think would have been accomplished ? ''

`` We hit singles , we hit doubles , every once in a while we may be able to hit a home run , '' he added later . `` But we steadily advance the interests of the American people and our partnerships with folks around the world . ''

4 . ` Consoler-in-chief ' travels

Obama 's short stays in South Korea and Malaysia came at dark times for both nations , still reeling from major transportation disasters that have many questioning each government 's response .

As he often does at home , Obama acted as `` consoler-in-chief , '' offering support to victims ' families during pauses from policy and diplomatic demands . But he avoided taking a stance on how each nation was responding to its crisis -- even as shakeups in leadership ranks were brewing .

In South Korea , Obama presented the country 's president with a framed American flag that was flown over the White House the same day of the tragic ferry accident that left -- at latest count -- nearly 200 dead . The accident has prompted widespread grief in the country , as well as anger at the government 's response .

At his next stop , in Malaysia , Obama confronted yet another disaster , this time the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 . Like in Seoul , Obama expressed his condolences to victims ' family members -- but avoided wading into the controversy surrounding the government 's response .

Officials have come under withering criticism from China , where a majority of the passengers hailed , accused of botching the search and keeping family members in the dark .

5 . People to people

In Asia , Obama 's chief success on paper was the military agreement with the Philippines -- a pact carefully hammered out by legions of government negotiators over months . But Obama 's calibrated attempts to reach out to people at a personal level also play into his long-term goal of more closely aligning the United States and Asia .

As he does in nearly every foreign country he visits , Obama stopped at schools and youth centers to meet people going about their lives -- and offer them at least a small glimpse at the man whose job is leader of the free world .

Nowhere was that more evident than Malaysia , a country the United States hopes will become a firm ally in Southeast Asia . His stop there , the first by a U.S. president in decades , comes after an economic growth spurt and renewed -- though still cautious -- desire for ties with the United States .

With that in mind , Obama took questions for more than an hour from a diverse group of students at the University of Malaya , fielding queries on his younger self , his family , his successes , and his failings .

When asked about his biggest regret , Obama did n't offer political misgivings or wishes for foreign policy do-overs . He told the crowd he wished he had spent more time with his mom before her death .

`` I realized that I did n't -- every single day , or at least more often -- just spend time with her and find out what she was thinking and what she was doing , because she had been such an important part of my life , '' he said .

It was a rare look into Obama 's inner workings , offered not at home but abroad . And if Malaysians walked into the forum regarding Obama only as a foreign leader , they left with a sense of someone struggling with the same human conundrums as anyone else -- perhaps making the gap between nations somehow smaller .

`` Our strategy is more than just security alliances or trade agreements , '' Obama said at the forum . `` It 's also about building genuine relationships between the peoples of Asia and the peoples of the United States . ''

5 takeaways from Obama 's Philippines news conference

5 takeaways from Obama 's Seoul news conference

Obama leaves Japan after defending foreign policy

Obama begins Asia trip with ` the best sushi I 've ever had '

@highlight

His stops all seemed designed , in part , to send a message to China

@highlight

Trade was a tough well for him

@highlight

Other issues have overshadowed the Asia pivot